It's Not What You Think
by serpentilewitch
Summary: What happens when a master swordswoman has to train her students in a cocky, goldenhaired lord's castle? It's not what you think! [okay, maybe it is] . Lord KrayonxErutis!
1. Reminiscence

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 1: Reminiscence

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wheee! Another ficcie! I thought I'd give up fanficcing, but then a great good friend of mine let me borrow all seven of the Demon Diary mangas...and, well...what can I say! Enjoy! Oh, and this fic takes place after the end of the manga...it's explained in the fic...

Disclaimer: I...don't...own...it... -collapses- Man, that was hard...

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The combined noise of a gang of people calling her name wakened Erutis with a start. "'Smatter?" she asked sleepily.

"Sensei!" said a relieved sounding man who was dripping in sweat and panting hard. "You're awake! We were all wondering if that much was enough." He motioned to the men and boys standing around the large courtyard. All of them were in a similar condition to the man who spoke: sweating, panting, and holding wooden swords.

Erutis yawned, "How much of what was enough?" she asked.

The man had the look of someone dreaded something inevitable. "The strokes, sensei...we were wondering if that many were enough..."

Erutis smiled. "Oh, that's right, I set you all to strokes...erm, I fell asleep and lost count...just start over."

Groans chorused throughout the courtyard while the oblivious sensei promptly turned around on her hammock and fell back asleep. It had been a tiring day. Turning a gang of men into swordsmen wasn't an easy task. Especially not when the men were ruffians and the like. The sounds of training took Erutis back aways...really, she owed this all to that annoying Lord Fancy-Pants. He was the one who'd suggested it...and started it...and prodded her to it...and quashed any objections. The memory of his help was quickly wiped from the young girl's mind, however. This was HER dojo, and SHE was the master swordswoman, and SHE was teaching these guys, so the credit was HERS! Yea, that worked. But still...

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He'd killed the traitors...and also made it so she couldn't find work anywhere... However, he HAD let her use his training quarters, and the large, roomy courtyard. He'd also bought all the equipment. Eclipse had seen to Chris's deportation out of Raenef's castle soon enough. The girl was an annoyance, but the boy was unbearable. What with his constant self-assessed super genius and his threats to the master...it was just getting to be too much. Besides Chris had that high cleric training thingy. That left Erutis.

She knew full well she couldn't kip under Raenef's roof forever, so she'd gone out boldly to seek employment. I mean, come on, she was a master swordswoman, there had to be work enough for her! However, Erutis's assumptions were quelled quickly. Lord Krayon had seen to it that no one employed the girl. "It wasn't fitting." After that rich expletive had tricked Erutis into helping her, it was Lord Krayon that had seen to the justice of it...and suggested that her captors become her students...which was all good and well, except she didn't have any facilities or equipment.

Fancy-Pants soon saw to that, as well, which left Erutis with little choice. She liked sword training, after all...what was the harm? The harm came in the fact that despite all that, Erutis herself still didn't have a place. It figured that Fancy-Pants had worked that out, too. She had an entire apartment to herself and the castle was hers to roam. Naturally.

-----

"Sensei! Sensei, how was that?" The boy's voice dragged Erutis irritably out of her reverie.

"I fell asleep, start over!" she snapped. Now, where was she? Ah, yes. Erutis had grudgingly taken Lord Krayon's offer...

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"Fine!" she said, as they walked side by side down a long, winding, beautifully landscaped garden to the front doors of Lord Krayon's castle. "But it's not what you think! I'm doing it because I have to eat, too, you know!" She fumed incoherent half phrases for much of the remainder of the time. Fancy-Pants's smug expression didn't help much. "Cornering a lady...scaring off the employers...just wait...get settled...show him!"

When they'd reached the huge, silver grilled gates of his castle, Lord Krayon had thrown them open with a flourish and a smirk, and then waited to see her reaction. Her breath caught in her throat. It was as though the entire castle was a huge garden. The sides of the upper story balconies's cement complimented the structure so well! Somewhere a brook was babbling and unseen birds chirped their foreign calls. The bright colors of exotic flowers set off the green of the plants so well! A wide natural pond was set a little to the left of the center. The castle was a botanical dreamland.

Lord Krayon had cleared his throat marginally, although he seemed pleased with Erutis's breathlessly speechless silence. The quiet, almost not there sound had snapped Erutis to moment at hand. Clearing her throat a few times, she'd said gruffly, "It'll do." Ha! That's show him how little it had impressed her!

-----

In her hammock, Erutis's lips curved into a quiet smile of victory. She seemed oblivious to that fact that her awe was quite plain for the regal lord to see. She turned around and promptly fell out of her hammock. Rubbing her butt and wincing, she got up, muttering, "Why? Why always the butt?"

In her mind, she could hear the young cleric's voice, "I'm telling you, it's because your butt's so heavy!"

The reminiscence only served to deepen her scowl. She stood up and dusted herself off impatiently. A lad came running up to her, seeming half dead. "Sensei!" He nearly gave out with the effort of the word. "Please, sensei, tell us that much is enough!"

"Erm..." Erutis hadn't been paying attention again. "Why don't you guys just-"

"PLEASE!" The distressed cry came from every man present and cut Erutis's words off. The lad who'd come up to her fell to his knees and prostrated himself before her, "Sensei! Sensei, please! Have mercy on us! Look, the sun is already setting!"

Erutis looked up and indeed, the sun was disappearing behind high cement walls of the training courtyard. She sighed, "Wow, time flies. Sure, I guess you all could go. Get back here the same time tomorrow, though, and practice! You won't get anywhere if you're lazy!"

The men all left in varying degrees of extreme exhaustion. Presumably alone in the large courtyard, Erutis stretched herself, yawning. What a long day it had been. She went around absently picking up all the equipment the men had, in their haste to leave, forgotten and left strewn across the floor. Her arms full, Erutis disappeared into the equipment room off the side of the courtyard. The wooden swords blocked her vision and, not being able to walk a straight line, Erutis immediately bumped into the doorway of the room before finding her way inside.

The man leaning casually against the doorway of the courtyard felt his lips curve in an affectionate smile at the young woman's clumsy gait. She was just ever so charming!

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	2. Walking Home

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 2: Walking Home

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh, lookie, an update! I'd like to thank my...TWO reviewers...hehe...

Disclaimer: IrefusetosayIdon'townDemonDiaryonceagain! There, that takes care of that!

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Erutis dusted herself off as she left the weapons room, thinking of the men's progress and of all the dust that had settled on her. Man, that place wasn't fit to step in! She made a mental note to clean it out sometime soon. The sun was barely visible over the horizon as it painted the once sapphire sky a deep scarlet. Clapping her hands together to rid them of dust, Erutis walked across the courtyard. As she reached the opposite end of the wide, roofless room, her thoughtful expression turned dour, and she stalked past the man casually leaning against the doorframe, resisting the urge to BOING one of his curls as she passed.

He smirked, "hnh"-ed, and followed her at a brisk pace that managed to come off as a languid stroll. The silence finally got to the young woman and she asked through ground teeth, veins popping in her forehead, "What're YOU doing here, Master Creepo!"

"My love, you still feel the need to ask that?" Lord Krayon wanted to know.

"I'm not your love, and yea, I do!" Erutis yelled. Every day since the first had been the same. Erutis would go off and train the men, and by the time she was done and walking back, there _he_ would be, waiting gallantly to walk her back to the castle...insisting all the while that it would be much more convenient and fitting for them to magick their way there. It was so irritating! A week's time hadn't let her get used to this sort of treatment yet.

"My love, it isn't right for a demon lord of my caliber to have his lady _walk_ the streets alone...and that, too, without an escort!" He shook his head regretfully.

"Then why don't you just send for one of your little ninnies to fetch me!" Erutis demanded. "And I'm not your lady!" she added as an afterthought. She wasn't giving up. Maybe the constant verbal abuse would eventually deter him from following her around, and then, maybe Erutis could live a normal life again...if she was lucky.

The demon lord didn't answer, but in his silence, did. He sighed, a long, drawn out sound and looked up at the rising moon, a forlorn look on his face. "Love you are so cruel..." he murmured. Erutis turned her face away from this display.

Why? Why did he have to set his sights on her! What'd she ever done in her short life to deserve this parasitical torture! I mean, Erutis thought vehemently, could he even _do_ anything? Aside from float on his butt in the air, making sylphs billow his stupid cloak about him like a retard and praise himself endlessly? Could he do anything _useful_! Did he have any talent to speak of! Unknowingly, the girl growled in her frustration. Such was her fate.

"My love, does something trouble you?" the golden-haired lord asked in concern.

"It's nothing your presence can fix!" Erutis yelled, and stalked on so that she walked a few paces ahead of him, grimacing as he dramatically cried rivers.

He soon overcame his self-pitying lamentations, however, and floated on ahead to meet up with the brisk young lady. He lay on his back in the air at utter ease, hands behind his head, legs propped up and crossed at the kness, floating backwards so that his face and upper body were facing Erutis, thus making it easier to converse- something the lady seemed eager to discontinue. "Erutis," he began. "Have you thought about-"

"I don't wanna talk, Krayon!"

Lord Krayon studied the girl without a hint of his usual smirk, then whisked away, back to his position a pace or two behind her. She had spunk, he thought...and I like spunk!

They arrived at the wrought silver gates of the castle, and Erutis stood before them, realizing a second too late that she didn't have the means to open it. Crap. Lord Krayon, however reached over her and began to unlock the gates. Keywords: leaned – over – her.

"If at all possible," Erutis ground out, using a phrase Eclipse had once used on her and attempting to mimic his cold tone. "Refrain from leaning over me!" The doors swung open at that moment, and the quiet chuckling near her ear told Erutis her proclamation hadn't gotten the reaction she had hoped for. A gentle push at the small of her back sent her stumbling lightly into the castle's inner courtyard.

Erutis stuck her nose in the air and took on a haughty demeanor to hide her embarrassment. The sound of the door being shut and bolted sent her towards the stairs. She didn't want to spend any more time than absolutely necessary in the weirdo's presence. And she'd have to think of better lines. Apparently, she couldn't pull of Eclipse's very well.

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In the large bedroom Lord Krayon had given her, Erutis changed into a light, gossamer nightdress. It appeared Krayon was a big believer in the arts or some other such thing. Everything he owned had some sort of beauty to it. He refused to provide her with a linen nightgown, for that, he declared, was not only unfitting to grace the form of a demon lord's lover, but also wasn't half as beautiful, or elegant. It was true the nightdress was nice, and felt nice against her skin, but there certain things she didn't appreciate at all that the demon lord seemed to appreciate very much. She blushed at the thought and made a mental note to punch the lord's lights out.

As she walked across the large canopied bed, the she noted the curtains that covered the doorless entrance to her balcony were open. These, too, were made of a fine, gossamer material, yet somehow managed to keep the cold out. More magic, she presumed. As she went to shut the curtains, she noted the stars and moon and thought that it really was a beautiful night out. However, her thoughts were interrupted as the figure below in the inner courtyard waved up at her.

"Sweet dreams, my love!" he called.

Erutis scowled, "I'll probably have nightmares!" she yelled down to him.

"I promise you, you won't...I would never send you nightmares!" he insisted, through a smirk and half-lidded eyes. When she scowled, he turned slightly so the stars on his left cheek were visible and gave a fleeting wink.

The heat rose slightly in Erutis's cheeks and she slammed the curtains shut, retiring to her bed. That cocky bastard. She half wished he WOULD send her nightmares... She had noted soon enough that she never had any bad dreams whatsoever since the week ago she'd come to his castle. It took her perhaps a day or two to recall that Lord Krayon reigned over the realm of dreams. It gave her no comfort to know, that every single night for a week now, she'd had a new surprise waiting for her every night as she went to bed. He always saw to it that she was flattered with _something_ in her sleeping hours...and sometimes, all that meant was being in his presence.

Erutis sighed and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep, wondering what it was this time...

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	3. Garden Tryst

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 3: Garden Tryst

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay! Peoples like my story! Heehee...this is always so exciting! Me love getting reviews, people! Oh, and btw, for those of you peoples who innocently don't know, a brothel is a prostitute house...yea...just keep reading...you'll see the chap has little to nothing to do with that info. AND, review responses are at the bottom of the chappie! Enjoy!

QUESTION: Ficwisely speaking, I know lemons and I know limes, but what in the hell are oranges!

WARNING: This chapter is rather confusing...maybe...

Disclaimer: Must I? Come now, twice should be enough! -sees official looking lawyers heading towards her- Okay, okay, I don't own Demon Diary or any of its bishful characters! There, happy! -goes off to cry in a corner-

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She entered the starlit garden as though there'd been an appointment. He sat in the elegant chair before the long table and held aloft in his hand a goblet of deep, honey colored wine – like his eyes. And just like so, they held a heavy-lidded, thick, syrupy look before they were blinked back to normalness. The elegant tilt of his head motioned for her to take a seat – any seat, but his rogue grin told her to take the one closest to him.

Her feet obeyed, having a will and need of their own. His hand – laden and glittering with numerous rings – pulled the seat out for her and she complied, sitting on the elegant piece of furniture. The same hand raised a second glass in suggestion to which she shook her head. The grin widened and the glass was returned to its previous position.

She reflected calmly that she shouldn't be this levelheaded – wouldn't be so in any other place. There was a silence for many minutes, but it mattered little as there was much to look at, admire, and appreciate in this garden of his. Not the least of which included him.

His honey-hued eyes – such a very rich and deep variation of the color – stared off into the distance, as he took periodic sips from the wineglass cradled casually in his hand, the rings making soft sounds as they touched the glass. The sound of fabric on fabric reached her ears and snapped her out of her reverie as he uncrossed his legs, leaning forward on the table to set his as yet unfinished wineglass on the table. She cocked her head to one side, the better to see him as he would undoubtedly address her.

"The setting suits you," he murmured. His voice resonated and echoed in an ethereal way and a vague and distant part of her mind seemed surprised at the opening remark. But his voice, too, had already become vague and distant and she found herself offering a small smile of thanks. His lips curved upwards. Setting his golden head at an angle, he inquired of her, "What might be on your mind?" Again, his voice held that ethereal echo.

"The bed is very comfortable and the sheets unnaturally soft," she replied. Her voice, too, echoed somewhat, but not in the same way his did. He chuckled softly, a light, deep sound.

"Of course," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "You're not yet accustomed..." his voice trailed off and she once again, felt that vague and distantly upsetting feeling that was quite unlike the placid calm she felt. A slight frown creased her brow, but the feeling was so minute she had little enough time to spare for it.

"Perhaps a different approach?" An eyebrow lifted in a question that needn't wait for an answer and he continued, "Were we, right at this very moment, housed in a brothel, myself being the client, would you hesitate many moments to consider the technicalities?" The amused lips seemed genuinely serious, while still suppressing a display of greater amusement. The feeling that rose to the surface and felt so detached from her seemed less so, this time, as the indignation and anger rode a surface still not at a level she could spare much thought for. Instead, her eyebrows knit together in a frown, and answered a she answered a question with a question.

"Why do you ask?" she voiced mildly.

He studied her a moment and asked, "Would you wait and consider for many moments? Or would you not care at all much about details trivial in the long run?"

"How odd," she said. "That you of anyone else would think in such a primal, advanced way..."

He chuckled once more. "I am merely making a comparison..."

"I don't suppose you believe that comparison holds true to life?" she wanted to know.

"Well, the setting most definitely no, but otherwise...it can easily be arranged..." he smirked and no power in the worlds could keep the intense crimson from coloring her cheeks as the lingering meaning behind the words hung in the air.

A light laugh later, he decided he'd made her uncomfortable enough, considering she was a guest. "Come now, let's change the subject before your charming cheeks turn any more scarlet, shall we?"

They conversed the rest of the evening, and indeed, she was surprised to find that morning was coming so soon, and that her eyelids were already fluttering open. Somewhere she registered the fact that there was some quiet slurping that was bringing her to. She took her leave of him and turned, groaning to confront another day.

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REVIEW RESPONSES: Okay, someone asked if the pair was going to get "intimate" and the answer to that is yes and no. They will undoubtedly become CLOSE, but...if you mean a lemon, then nah, I couldn't write that...I mean, I probably could, but I doubt it'd be accurate...and if it was, then I swear to God above, I wouldn't have written it from experience! -

And yes, there will be smooching galore, but come on, guys, give them some time! I like to let these things create themselves, and so, they sometimes take time, but I assure you, it's well worth the wait! At least I hope so!


	4. Breakfast

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 4: Breakfast

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Umm...nothing, really, except that you can review more than one chapter at one time, k? Enjoy the fic! And just in case some of you haven't cottoned on, Chapter 3 was Erutis's dream. That's why it was so vague and eterealish, and I don't know if you peoples noticed, but no names were used

Disclaimer: I'm still not done crying in my corner, sheesh!

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The slurping was quiet and delicate, but to heck with that! Slurping was slurping!

slurping (a) noise (b)  
noise (b) awake Erutis (c)

Thus a equaled c. C was not good. Groaning, she rolled over and groping around, came into contact with a second pile of fluff. Taking this second pillow, she jammed it as hard as her sleep-logged brain would allow her, over her head and effectively blocked out the infuriating noise.

However, what must've been 5 minutes later but in reality, was probably more like 6 Erutis opened her eyes. She was simply done being asleep.

"That really bites," she thought. There wasn't much to do in bed aside from sleeping, afterall. Although, now that she thought about it, there was that OTHER thing...

Mentally, she shook that thought out of her head, knowing her face would probably be likened to that of a beet. Just to have something to do aside from think, Erutis sat up, stretched, and threw her legs over the left side of her bed...

Only to be greeted by the bright sunshine filtering in through the bare balcony, it's curtains gathered neatly to the sides with a satin band. The smile that made its way to her face faltered and fell as she distinctly recalled shutting the curtains the night before. Yea, she remembered alright, because that annoying curly-head had give her the cheekiest wink ever in the history of cheeky winks. Not that it was a bad wink or anything like that, just- the owner cut her thoughts off abruptly.

_And there was that bloody slurping again! _The woman turned fractionally so that she was facing the spacious corner between the balcony and the bed. "What're YOU doing HERE!" she yelled, storming towards the small round table covered in the white linen tablecloth that he sat behind. He paused as though surprised by her vehement reaction. The slurping continued.

Planting her hands on the table, her short height towered somewhat over the man balanced on the two back legs of his chair. "Slept well?" he asked her, smiling. The girl ignored him.

"Is that my breakfast!" she demanded, looking at the apparent remains of a meal that had gone to a better place.

Lord Krayon took a few more slurps from the drink in his hand, which drew Erutis's attentions to the apparatus that had caused her so much grief so early on in the day. "Gimme that!" she said and swiped the glass right out of the poor Lord's hands. He sat there, dumbstruck to a degree.

"But...my drink..." he trailed in a forlorn voice.

"No, my drink!" Erutis yelled. As if to confirm it, she sucked out whatever bit of liquid was left in the canister and crumpled it in her hands. Slamming it onto the table and leaning towards the poor man, she said, "This is _my_ drink, _my_ breakfast, and _my_ room! I want _you_ out!"

Honey colored eyes took in all four walls at a slow, deliberate pace, and smiling, the Lord rested them on the green ones of the swordswoman before him. "Interesting," he said slowly. "Your decorating taste is admirably similar to mine. If I didn't know better, I could've sworn I was still in my castle." The smile widened to a smirk. He had her. Suddenly, yet elegantly, he stood up.

Erutis backed up a few paces, embarrassed. He had a point there. Not wanting to look at the amusement of those eyes, she looked elsewhere and that's when she realized she was still in her skimpy little floaty, sheer nightdress. It looked as though a volcano had erupted onto Erutis's face, yet the curly-haired man seemed not to take note. "I – I'm going to go wash up," she began, hoping he hadn't noticed her lack of dress. "You'd better be gone by the time I come back!" She might still be able to save face from this encounter!

Alas, as she was about to turn and head for her bath changers, Krayon reached out a hand and slipped the dangerously low strap of her nightdress back over her shoulder. "Appearing half dressed is all good and well, my love, however, I think an accident might be a bit much for your already beet-red face."

So he hadn't been as oblivious as he seemed. The color deepened sevenfold and forgetting all pretenses, Erutis ran to her bath chambers, and shut the heavy wooden door with a solid thud.

Lord Krayon chuckled softly and sat down. _Shame,_ he thought. _I'm sure it would've been off before she reached the bathrooms, too._ He shook his head and commenced eating his breakfast. A few minutes passed and Krayon couldn't hold it in any longer. All that slurping had consequences, you know. Rising, he headed without a second thought, to the far side of the room where the bath chamber was located. The far side of the room and through the door Erutis had just disappeared through.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whee! Oh, come on, you guys knew this was coming! You can't have a fic like this and NOT have a bathroom scene! Guess you all have something to look forward to the next chapter for! Heehee...making you wait...I'm evil! But you know, buttering up to me might help.

Go ahead and press that sexy lil blue button! You know you wanna touch it! -


	5. Intrusion

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 5: Intrusion

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, hehe, it's THE SCENE! Waited long? Sorry, I have school to pay attention to and everything, how annoying is that? So Seki and I were having a discussion bout lemons and limes and everything in between in school and this one girl goes, "Why are you guys talking about lemons?" O.O Well, what can I say? Lol, funny stuff.

Okay, you peoples were probably waiting and holding your breaths for major fluff, but I warn you- I like to take things SLOW...as slow as they are liable to happen in real life! So, while I may fill the insides of a chapter with some nice fluffy stuff, you won't get to eat raw cream until the endish parts, okay? Otherwise, I'd feel like my fic were decidedly too unreal and wouldn't really feel relevant. Okay? Oh, and there'll be a major event type thing that happens, hehe. Maybe not MAJOR, major, but major for the story. Meh, does anyone even read these author notes? I bet I could put a sex scene in here right now and no one would know. Watch. Erutis hissed, and drew in air, biting her lip apprehensively. He was coming towards her now, and she felt a shiver go up her spine. Sweat broke out across her entire body and every nerve tingled, most especially the sensitive area in question about to experience some pain. The soft skin of his hand made contact with the area in question and she drew in a gasp of surprise, hating having him see he could do this to her so easily. She arched her back slightly, leaning towards him, extremely nervous and second guessing her decision to tell him what she wanted. He grinned at her, as though sensing her thoughts and whispered, "All done, my love, you didn't even feel the splinter leave your knee, did you? I told you it wouldn't hurt a bit!" Mad at herself for her show of vulnerability, she shoved him aside, flushing somewhat and rubbing her knee self consciously. "Whatever. I just wanted to make you feel like you had a reason to live, Master Creepo." A chorus of "Love You Are So Cruel" could be heard the rest of the day.

What were you all thinking! o.O Heehee, see? No one will notice. –smiles- Now, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: Okay, peoples, lemme spell this out for you: M–e N–o O–w–n D-e-m-o-n D-i-a-r-y! Get it now?

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Lord Krayon let the wooden door close quietly, yet solidly behind him. Somewhat on key singing could be heard permeating the steam and stuffiness of the bathing apartments. It was coming from the more heavily steamed side of the large, spacious room. The Lord steeled himself a glance in that direction and found that the woman's back was to him and she seemed preoccupied with cleaning her hair. He slipped away to the side with the apparatus he desired to use and went about his business. I'm not about to get into details, guys, use your imagination! .

Whatever tune she was singing was catching, and he hummed it quietly to himself as he turned on the water to wash his hands. The noise alerted a certain young woman that her privacy wasn't as assured as she had presumed. The inevitable, bloodcurdling shriek resounded about the castle and it's grounds.

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SOMEWHERE IN THE RAENEF CASTLE

"Did you hear that, Eclipse? It sounded like someone screamed."

"Yes, Master Raenef, but as of right now, some screaming villager is of no concern to you. Please focus on creating the Dark Strike as I have demonstrated."

"How...How dare YOU admonish ME, VERMIN!"

"..."

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BACK AT THE KRAYON CHATEAU

A red headed swordswoman stood, half immersed in steaming water, clutching her shoulders across her chest, trying her best to curl in on herself without sinking and accidentally drowning herself in the large bathtub. The radiant blush in her cheeks was made only deeper from the anger fused into the woman at this interruption. She stood there for a few moments, trying to put into words her complete and utter fury, searching for something that would describe how much she wanted to slice him up at this very moment.

She did a quick scan of the room and mentally groped around her immediate area for something – anything to throw at the intruder. This wasn't going to happen anytime soon, apparently, as there wasn't even anything in her reach for her to cover herself up with, let alone spare to throw at the man standing less than fifteen feet away, staring at her face in a rather puzzled manner. He took a step towards her and the woman's eyes widened.

"Is something the matter, Erutis, dear? Why did you scream?" he asked.

"Oh...Lord..." Erutis said faintly in disbelief.

"Yes?" Krayon asked, thinking incorrectly that she had addressed him.

"You...you...HOW DARE YOU! HOW COULD YOU JUST COME WALTZING IN HERE LIKE THAT! THIS IS – THAT IS TO SAY – YOU'RE – I'M NAKED! YOU CAN'T JUST – VIOLATED! I – YOU – **I'LL KILL YOU!**"

She made to come at him, quite determined. "Now, now, Erutis, dear, think of what you're doing...think of the consequences..." The curly haired demon Lord took a hesitant step back. He had, by no means, expected such a...strong reaction. He'd simply supposed he'd go in, come out, and then wait for her to be done. Why was she getting all uptight about it? After all, they _were_ lovers, it was normal for lovers to see each other unclothed, right? But then a sudden thought struck him. Maybe human lovers weren't so.

"Erutis, dear, it _is _normal for human lovers to see each other undressed, right?" he asked her.

"I AM NOT YOUR LOVER!"

"But my love-"

"GET OUT! GET OUT, GET OUT GET OUT! LEAVE, BEFORE I SLICE YOUR HEAD OFF WITH MY BARE HANDS! I'LL – I'LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!" In her agitation, she splashed him with a fair sized wave of hot, steaming water. The Lord let out a delicate gasp as the heated water met his skin and clothes. The woman stood there, waiting to make sure he left, still shaking with a fury so complete, she was plotting the annihilation of a certain Demon Lord even as she watched him shake water out of his eyes and undo the clasp of his shirt. Wait – what!

"What...what are you doing!" she demanded to know, now becoming somewhat apprehensive. The buttons were coming undone, now, and this was not looking good. The blush on Erutis's cheecks intensified.

"My love, you have gotten me all wet, now, so it appears I'll have to bathe again."

Erutis's eyes widened. "You're not...you're not thinking of bathing _now_ are you? Right here, right now?"

He tilted his head to one side and asked in genuine confusion, "Why, what's wrong with that?"

"KRAYON! GET OUT RIGHT THIS INSTANT! I'M NOT YOUR LOVER AND I'M NOT ABOUT TO LET YOU BATHE WITH ME! YOU SICK PERVERT! GET OUT! **OUT!**" Erutis swam to the far side of the tub and grabbed the bar of soap sitting there, just minding its own business. Taking it firmly in her hand, she chucked it as hard as she could at the offending person getting ready to get undressed. The soap slipped and hit him lamely in the chest.

"Love, you wound me," Krayon said, with mock sadness

"OH, I'll do more than just wound you, you PERVERT you, GET OUT!"

Something finally clicked in the Lord's head and he turned on his heel to sweep out of the room. But not before he had a chance to make sure she saw him smirk. "I can guarantee you'll remember this moment on the day you long for it."

His answer was the bar of soap making contact with the solid wood of the closing door.

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REVIEW RESPONSES: Seki: Yea, I know, I kinda thought of Jung, too! Heehee, it's all about the straw! Consider me buttered! I hope this chappie was up to your expectations!

Kumagoro1391: Well, I hope that wasn't too scary for you! Oh, and I explain the button thingy in the author's note below.

Cheraichan: Impure thoughts! -gasp- Lol, j/k. Let's not get too high in the ratings just yet. Thankies a million gazillion bunches for the compliments!

Kali Swifteye: Yea, I know! She's so mean to him and he still loves her! Bad Erutis! Bad Girl! Lol, he's sooo bish! Yea, I pronounce it the same way, and I like it!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, how did you peoples like it! Heehee, I tried my best! Oh, and someone told me the sexy blue button is actually purple, but I think it has more visible blue pigments than violet pigments, so if you all don't mind, I'm going to go ahead and keep calling it blue. You know you wanna press blue stuff! Hit it!


	6. Halls of Happiness

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 6: Halls Of Happiness

AUTHOR'S NOTE: None. Wtf! No author's note! -grins- Cheers!

Disclaimer: Some dreams will never come true…like my owning Demon Diary. –sighs-

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Over the next few days, Erutis didn't see Krayon much. He always seemed excessively busy. Any time she glimpsed him, he was usually surrounded by important-looking delegates, all walking briskly and talking very fast. That never stopped him from flashing her a special smile, though, anytime he caught sight of her. Not that she rated any of his perfect 10 smiles.

A low growl escaped the girl's throat and she quickly shook her head and put her mind to thinking of other things. Like all the pretty fabrics draped across her bed right now. Her maid, Aya, was saying something, but she wasn't sure what it was.

"...the choice is yours, of course, but I'm here to help, anyhow. My Lord Krayon has informed me you are not used to such garb, and he bid me not to pressure you into anything, of course..." The maid continued on, quite unaware that Erutis hadn't comprehended anything.

"Erm, I'm sorry, what did you say? I, erm, wasn't paying attention."

The maid smiled, "No problem, My Lord has that effect on girls sometimes." She blushed herself, smile widening.

Erutis turned beet red and shook her hands furiously at the maid. "No, that's not the case at all! He doesn't have any effect on me at all! I assure you, I was just busy thinking of other things!"

The maid giggled slightly, covering her mouth guiltily with her hand and leaned closer to Erutis in a confidential manner. "Oh, My Lady, do you have any idea how lucky you are? To be the one whom My Lord Krayon bestows his favor upon?" Her eyes glimmered and Erutis got the distinct, uncomfortable feeling that this girl had harbored desires of her own.

Erutis frowned, "Unfortunate's the word, more like."

The maid's eyes widened. "Unfortunate? How so? My Lady...if you don't mind my saying so...you're different than anyone else I've ever met before. My Lord Krayon is everything a girl could possibly wish for in her sanest and wildest dreams! May I ask what you have wanted in a lover?"

The swordswoman's cheeks blushed a bit and she was just about to try and formulate an answer, when the door burst open and in waltzed...speak of the devil...Krayon himself.

He smiled around at them all, taking in the curtains blowing in the rambunctious breeze, the bed scattered with beautiful fabrics, and the two uncomfortable looking young maidens. "Aya!" he snapped, not quite upset. The girl snapped to attention.

"My Lord?"

"Didn't I tell you not to antagonize my lady with the garments? Be off with them, they're making her uncomfortable, can't you see?" Neither girl was about to set him straight as to the reason of that discomfort.

"But, My Lord, the ball is a formal occasion, you _do_ know what might happen-"

"Of course, but that's not the issue here!" Krayon interrupted hurriedly, casting a furtive glance in Erutis' direction. Fancy-Pants strode around to the other side of the bed and fell elegantly on one knee before Erutis in a swirl of cape and curly hair. Grasping his lady love's hand, he brushed a whispered kiss across the back of it, smiled a dazzling smile fit to put the sun to shame, then stood and walked out of the room.

There was a sort of silence in the room following his departure. He had a way of filling a room up without any effort whatsoever. The maid, Aya, sighed and there was a glazed look in her eyes as she stared at the empty doorway. Erutis merely sniffed and stuck her nose in the air, rubbing the back of her hand across her breeches in a show of wiping the offending kiss off.

"Ahem. Right, well, My Lady, you'll want to pick one of these dresses to wear to that upcoming ball, as I was saying..."

"Ball? What ball? And didn't you hear him? He said I didn't have to wear a dress if I didn't want to."

Aya bit her lip, a concerned expression crossing her face. "Well...yes, but, this ball is a Demon Lord Gathering, and all the Lords will be there with their Ladies and vice versa. Dresses are the only appropriate, acceptable attire for such an occasion. It's bad enough you'll be human...being an inappropriate human on top of that...not to mention your love of swordplay...I'm afraid it would all be quite a bit too much."

Erutis frowned. "Come again?"

Aya sighed and explained, "At gatherings like this one, the other Lords would scrutinize My Lord Krayon's Lady, his selection. It's most inappropriate to have a human for a partner, such as yourself. It's even stranger that you're a swordswoman, which is uncommon even among the mortals. On top of that, if you dress like a male, seemingly giving no thought to decorum, worrying only after your own comfort... It's liable the Demon Lords will find you unfit for their fellow Lord, at best, and may attempt to kill you."

"And at worse?" Erutis asked sarcastically.

"They may belive my Lord Krayon is unfit to rule among them as a Demon Lord and strip him of his title, while his enemies strip him of all his land and indeed, possibly his life."

Erutis: -- Oo "All this just because I wouldn't be in a dress?"

Aya sighed once again, "The Demon Lords are fond of picking at each other, and their ageless nature has taught them to read into things too much. It's a court language, you understand."

"Well," Erutis said firmly, "Krayon said I didn't have to wear a dress if I didn't want to. So it can't be as bad as all that. Fancy-Pants would never put his own life in danger for something like that."

Aya stared off into the distance outside the window and whispered, "He's in love with you. Love is blind. He doesn't care about the consequences. He wants to present you as you would have yourself be presented and not have any pretenses about it." Her unblinking gaze pierced the sunshine outside and when she whispered again, "He's in love with you," Erutis could tell tell that her eyes were seeing a ballroom in which she and Krayon were dancing away the night.

Aya snapped out of it, smiled weakly, bowed, and ran out of the room, brushing a stray tear away from her face. Erutis was stunned. She didn't understand what it was about that Curly Haired Weirdo that had so enraptured this sensible girl.

Night came and found Erutis still sitting on her bed, fingering the gauzy fabrics thoughtfully, the moonlight turning the colors an ethereal shade of dreams. Aya had asked what she'd ever wanted in a lover...in a man. It had been a long, long time since Erutis had given any thought to anything like that.

But now that the subject had been breached...she recalled wanting...wanting... A tear journeyed down the red-head's cheek and she let it fall. She wasn't sure what she was crying for. The realization that she did in fact want someone, or the fact that life had taken some moments away from her, or just the memory of her knight in shining armor.

Maybe the tear was for those strong arms she'd wanted, or that gentle smile, or the understanding, caring eyes, or the laughter that would ring forever in the halls of happiness, or for the calloused hands that had known swordpractice so as to better defend her from the world, so she'd never have to do it herself. The love, the protection, the caring...maybe that was what the tear was for, she couldn't be sure. There was just so much she couldn't be sure of anymore. It was starting to scare her a little bit, and she had no idea why.

Looking at the yellow dress in front of her, Erutis thought it belonged around a faerie's form, not her own. She used to love dresses like these when she was little. She'd loved the feel of them across her skin, the way they made her feel so completely feminine, softening even the hard set of her shoulders from their naturally defensive position.

The cloth slid through her fingers like water as she sat thinking, and remembered that Krayon's hands were calloused when he'd held hers earlier and his lips were soft, his smile gentle, his eyes caring, his arms strong, and his laughter rang somewhere inside her where the halls of happiness still lay.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I hope you guys liked that! I'm sorry it took me so long to get it out, but I've got school and other things that I have to keep up with. It may be another long wait for the next chapter, but as soon as summer hits, I'll probably come out with more. This was actually done a few days ago, but me internet was down. --'

Well, please leave me reviews! You have no idea how many times I was thinking about just deleting my account, but then I'd get a review, and decide to keep going. Thanks very much!


	7. Not In Love

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 7: Not In Love

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, it's true, It's Not What You Think HAS been updated! -throws confetti in the air- Yay! I know, I know, it's been a while, but I've been a combination of preoccupied and lazy. –was about to make the tongue-stick out smiley with the equal sign and capital P, when she realized won't let her make smilies anymore…cries instead- This really bites, this no smiley business. Hmm…ah, well, I hope you like it! There is, by the way, some major drool bucketness going on here, so if you don't have your drool bucket out, make sure you have it before the end of the chapter, Thanks.

Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Bring it on, lawyers, I can sooo take you! -puts up her weak fists and gets her game face on, watching lawyers ebb away, worried for my sanity- Yea, that's what I thought!

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Erutis stared at herself in the mirror the next day, apprehensive and not at all sure about what she was doing, but determined to do it anyhow. Aya was pinning things and adjusting them so that it fit, her mouth full of pins and limiting her speech. "How'sh dat my dady?" she managed to get out.

"Uhmm…" Erutis turned a little this way and that. The truth of the matter was that she liked it very much. And the way Aya had sewn it and was tailoring it now did the impossible and managed to bring out every curve she had and even some that she didn't. Or so it seemed to Erutis, anyways. She supposed all dresses did that, and she just didn't know. It wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened.

"My lady, if I may say, it looks gorgeous," Aya said, having placed the excess pins in a pincushion and stood back to survey her handiwork. And there it was, that wistful look on her face now, the one that told Erutis in so many seconds, how much Aya would give to be in her shoes right now, admiring the radiant white gown in front of the mirror. This always made her feel somewhat guilty and ready to change the subject.

"So, erm, I guess this isn't so bad," Erutis said gruffly, plucking at the airy fabric as it draped over her form. There was a comfortable, stretchy bit underneath, that hid anything that needed hiding, per se, and then this gauzy part that rested over, lending her a stately and most refined air. Now, if only she managed to keep her mouth shut the whole time, she might be able to pass on the illusion successfully. Although, they'd have to be blind deaf and dumb not to realize how un-DemonLord'sLady-ish she really was.

She plopped herself onto the bed, careless of creating wrinkles and looked around. Aya was standing there now with a pretty wooden box carved with swirls. Erutis quirked an eyebrow at this. In reply, her maid opened the box and Erutis felt her breath catch. The last time she'd seen that much gold, it had been in coin form, and she'd been tied up, caught trying to nick it.

"It's for you," Aya said, smiling and realizing Erutis had been waiting with her mouth open dumbly, as though completely lost as to what so much gold was doing before her like that. "To accent your attire," she continued at the still clueless look. Carefully taking out a heavy necklace, she held it against her mistress's neck. "You see? Highlights the white dress very nicely. And adds to your elegance, as well, not to mention it just looks pretty." She smiled again and started taking out the other pieces of jewelry from the box.

Erutis oggled as piece after piece was laid out before her. There were earrings to match, bracelets, armbands, rings, necklaces, pins, hair ornaments, anklets, toerings, and even what might've been a circlet for the head. Her maid began to systematically place items next to her face, tilt it this way and that, and either accept the affect it created, or reject it by putting it back in the box with an annoyed, "tch" sound.

When she was done, there was a sizeable pile left outside and Aya smiled, gathered it up and put it away. "Okay, my lady, you're done for the day, I think. Now the best thing for you to do would be to relax and not worry about the ball, you'll do just fine, I'm sure. No sense in worrying and causing unnecessary wrinkles." She whisked away everything for the next week's ball and left the room, the door shutting firmly behind her.

Erutis sagged in her perch on her bed and then let herself fall back onto it, staring at the canopy. What was she getting herself into? A walk. Yes, that was what she needed. A nice stroll to clear her thoughts and calm her down…rearrange her thinking… Sliding off the bed, Erutis headed out to the gardens where she was sure to find some peace.

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_'Ah, here was peace,'_ Erutis thought. She wandered the aesthetically pleasing landscape at her leisure, at first clearing her mind of all thoughts to simply revel in the beauty of it all. Then, slowly, she realized it wasn't quite as quiet as she had originally presumed. A few notes of music were being caught in the breeze and drifting to her. Curiosity moved her feet to the direction of the music and she let it. She caught sight of what looked like a singer with her entourage of musicians. They were either putting on a performance, or practicing. Either way, she didn't want to interrupt.

The young swordswoman hastily retraced her steps back, but not all the way. She wandered near a small fountain, and let the singer's voice serenade her thoughts and lead their direction. Maybe this was some sort of sign. The singer's voice reached her ears and Erutis grinned wryly at how well the lyrics fit…

_"If there's a prize for rotten judgment,  
I guess I've already won that."_

No kidding. Her initial perceptions of Krayon were while not thoroughly squashed, they now appeared somewhat uncalled for. She was actually feeling quite bad for all her insults and such. He was only caring, and why was she so frisky about that all of a sudden. After all, wasn't that what she'd always wanted anyhow?

_"No man is worth the aggravation,"_

Erutis remembered thinking the exact same thing before…well, before something inside her started thinking otherwise. Not!...that she was, you know, thinking Krayon was worth being aggravated over or anything like that! Erutis gave a short, forced laugh at the thought and sat on the fountain ledge.

_"That's ancient history, been there  
Done that.  
Who'd you think you're kiddin?  
He's the earth and heaven to you,"_

Well, let's not push it, Erutis thought. The song started to become less a song and more accusations personally targeting her. He definitely _treated_ her in ways that would warrant her thinking of him as being her earth and heaven, certainly, but…she really wasn't doing that now, was she? Another wave of guilt hit Erutis. This wasn't looking too good for her. Not too good at all. She sighed and wondered just how fair she'd been to the ever helpful lord.

_"Try to keep it hidden, honey we can see right through you,"_

The redhead rather thought she'd done an excellent job of hiding her emotions, thank you very much!

_"Girl you can't conceal it,  
We know how you're feelin', who you're thinking of."_

A blush colored her cheeks and she turned around, as though anyone might see it and accuse her of having a certain man on her mind. Although, she conceded to herself, she _did_ have the right to be thinking about him if she wanted to, it was _her_ mind, after all. Miffed at her having to explain herself to her own self, she firmly refused to voice anything. She wasn't thinking about him, she wasn't affectionate towards him, fondly remembering him, nope, not her.

_"No chance, no way, I won't say it, no no."_

Yup. This was just the same Erutis that had walked into the Demon Lord Krayon's chateau three weeks ago. She hated that curly haired fop with a passion, and that was the only sort she harbored for him.

_"You swoon, you sigh, why deny it, uh oh."_

She'd never swooned in her life and the only time she'd sighed was… Erutis colored at the memory of having done so just moments before as she thought of that creep. Argh, she was betraying herself, this wouldn't do! Maybe the song was going to give her better advice on what to do now that it had stated everything she was feeling.

_"It's too cliché, I won't say I'm in love."_

Erutis grinned. Aha, score one for her! In your face, song! How's that, she wasn't going to say it! Well, that was a nice stroke of good fortune right there. She sat back contendedly to listen to the rest, lazily swinging a hand loosely in the water.

_"I thought my heart had learned its lesson,  
It feels so good when you start out."_

She was nodding in agreement, dopey smile on her face before she caught herself and splashed water onto said smiling face. This really was unacceptable.

_"My head is screaming 'get a grip, girl  
Unless you're dyin' to cry your heart out!'"_

A sick feeling started creeping into Erutis's stomach. How could a bloody song get so close? I mean, make such horrendous stuff up, she corrected herself. It was a personal insult. This song wasn't anything like what she was thinking at all, she'd gotten it wrong from the get go, what a waste of time…

_"You keep on denying,  
Who you are and how you're feeling,"_

The green-eyed girl gulped and looked over her shoulder suspiciously, as though expecting to see the singer looking at her, with a knowing smirk on her face, taunting her. This wasn't fair, why was everyone picking on her? So what, she could deny things anytime she felt like it! Her internal pleas were starting to sound desperate, even to her.

_"Baby, we're not lying, Honey we saw you hit the ceiling,  
Face it like a grown up,  
When ya gonna own up that you got, got, got it bad?"_

Her hands balled into fists at the ledge and she stared at the grass at her feet. Why was this song having such a strange effect on her? It was only a stupid song, for crying out loud! But somewhere in her mind, she knew it came a little too close to home, just enough to worry her seriously, and make her rethink everything she ever thought of herself.

_"Whoa, no chance, no way, I won't say it, no no."_

Well, denial wasn't just a river in Egypt…

_"Give up, give in,  
Check the grin, you're in love!  
You're doin flips, read our lips, you're in love!"_

The girl slid off the fountain and sat on the floor, leaning against the stone ledge and thinking. This had all started when Aya had asked her what she'd always wanted in a man and the more she had analyzed it, the more Kra- no! The more "someone she knew" seemed to fit that description like a well worn, favorite garment. But that didn't necessarily mean anything, did it? Erutis were sure plenty of young men out there were caring, kind, strong, and worked well for a living. With beautiful, deep, seductive, alluring, shmexy amber eyes- She shook her head violently. WRONG TRAIN OF THOUGHT!

_"You're way off base,  
I won't say it.  
Get off my case,  
I won't say it_

_No chance, no way, I wont' say it no, no."_

She grinned. His eyes really were quite something to behold, you didn't see a pair like those everyday…

_"Give up, give in, check the grin you're in love!"_

Unbidden, an image came into her mind of a dashing young man holding a woman on a balcony somewhere where the moonlight reflected off the water in the background, their heads mere inches apart from each other… It looked familiar…one of her older daydreams, of course.

"_The scene won't play, I won't say I'm in love.  
You're doin flips, read our lips, you're in love!  
You're way off base, I wont' say it.  
Girl, don't be proud, it's okay, you're in love."_

She turned over and lay in the grass, picking at it absentmindedly, no longer contemplating the song much… How strange to be harboring such like thoughts after so many years of doing without. It felt…nice. To be able to think tenderly of someone else. Or at least, to allow herself a few moments in which not to think ill of him.

_"No chance, no way, I wont' say it no, no.  
Give up, give in, check the grin you're in love.  
The scene won't play, I won't say I'm in love."_

Rolling onto her back, the girl scrutinized the sky and the odd shapes the clouds formed, then closed her eyes, sighing and smiling. The atmosphere made it okay to do both. Besides, no one was watching. A few minutes of peace and calm, and she got up, dusting herself of any stray grass and loose dirt, then made her way back up to the castle, the last snatches of the song carried to her on the wind.

_"At least out loud,  
I won't say I'm in…love."_

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The silver grate doors were shut when she arrived, but at a light touch from her, they swung open as though the hinges had been oiled excessively. She hadn't gone two steps when she unexpectedly saw Krayon on his way out. He gave her a broad grin of genuine delight at having seen her face after so many hours of having done without, but she avoided his eyes, turning a rather striking shade of crimson. Turning her head in the opposite direction, she pretended to get her cloak caught in her armor somehow and busily walked away, muttering nonsensical half-phrases to herself, assuming an air of preoccupation. She knew he was too busy these days to stop and question her. So much the better.

It seemed her newly conceived revelations were making a few things difficult for her. Like snapping at him, she wasn't able to do that just now. Or yell at him, insult him, or even throw a punch his way. That might be due to the fact that each of those activities required looking at him: something she found she couldn't bring herself to do. It must be because she'd now officially admitted, if only slightly-hurriedly, to herself, that his eyes were indeed striking, and…dare she say it, attractive?

Just the thought of the sort of things on her mind made her blush and she hastened off to her chambers where she threw open the curtains and allowed the late afternoon breeze to come sweeping in. Turning, she fell onto her canopied bed and stared at the canopy. Her head was now full of other thoughts. Thoughts she wasn't sure she wanted to come to terms with…

She lay there, carefully not thinking about anything in particular as darkness fell like sleep to the tired. Glancing outside, she realized all that was left of the sun was a splash of red already mixing with the indigo of night. The day's listlessness catching up to her, Erutis hopped out of bed and changed into her nightdress, then crept out of her room and down the hall.

She wandered around for a bit, not having gotten around to exploring the palace as she would have liked, due to her students. The patter of her bare feet went virtually unheard to all but the most sensitive of ears. A door here, a door there. Most were unlocked, but among those, some were too heavy to move, and others creaked horribly when she attempted the feat. Random flights of stairs showed up at odd intervals and she took whichever flight she pleased, not worried about the getting back part. She'd worry about _that_ when she came to it.

Suddenly, she came to a halt before a magnificent set of double doors. They were gargantuan! The deep, rich wood was carved in a series of swirling patterns, and the engraved parts seemed filled with solid gold. Erutis reached out a tentative hand to touch the door, then reconsidered. This was the biggest and by far, the most solid looking door she'd seen so far. There just _had_ to be something excruciatingly important behind it, or what was the point of giving it such an important door? Made sense, didn't it? Her hand rested itself against the wood, and with an inward nod from her curious self, she gave it a slight pressure, testing its give.

To her surprise, it swung inwards in quite the same manor the front gates of the castle had. Inside it was quite dark, but for a window to her right from where shafts of moonlight spilled onto the room. An immense four-poster bed, with elegant hangings around it sat in the middle of the room, it's headboard touching the far wall from the door. While the hangings obscured her view, she was quite sure someone was asleep.

Heart pounding, Erutis pattered quietly forward, glancing around the room as she did. Rich carpeting lay under her feet: layers of exquisite rugs in brilliant patterns. There was a bureau further along the wall the door was situated on, made of the same wood, or so it seemed to Erutis, with the same swirling, gold-filled engravings. The desk, which was a ways along the same wall the bed was up against, was the same, as were the nightstands next to the bed, and coming closer, the bed itself. All were made of the same wood with gold inlets. It was all quite breathtaking, the elegance.

She reached the bed and with a slight gasp and gulp, Erutis realized that there was, indeed, someone sleeping in the bed. Someone sleeping peacefully in the middle of it, the pale, iridescent glow of the moon illuminating him.

He lay with his right arm out at an angle from him, and the other resting atop his waist, as though grasping the covers there. However, Erutis noted that the covers were a ways below that. In fact- she blushed intensely at the observation- the covers barely covered him up in time to allow for modesty. The contours of his pleasantly muscled arms, chest and waist lay bare, chest rising and falling in even breaths. The chiseled cords beneath the skin evident, even from her distance. The edges of his hipbones were just visible over the edge of the covers and Erutis quickly averted her eyes.

The eyes were close, naturally, his mouth closed, but the lips slightly parted. The infamous curly hair lay around his pillow and face, framing him in gold. A slight crease appeared on the skin just shy of his eyebrow, and the eyebrow twitched as the mouth closed in a mumble. He shifted his position slightly, and Erutis froze in alarm. This would not be good if he woke up now. Not good at all. Completely un-good, that's what it would be. A mumble more, followed by a head toss, and suddenly, the wiry muscles she had noted earlier shifted and bunched as they were put to use, raising their master up to a half-sitting position.

Erutis gasped as his amber gaze fell on her and he tilted his head quizzically, right arm resting on his right leg which he'd propped up. Now was strictly not the time to think about his sheets, it really, really wasn't. Not at all. Nope. So it might be a good time to stop, then, her brain chided her. Erutis didn't think she'd ever felt stupider in her life as she stood there, mouth gaping open and then closing, brain scrambling for two words to string together.

Before she'd thought up an adequate excuse, however, he'd tugged back the sheets on the bed in the space next to him, then patted the exposed lenth of bedding for her. Erutis's cheeks had never undergone a redness to which she was taking them now.

"Uh…eek!" she squeaked out finally. Krayon was now rubbing the sleep out of his left eye with his left hand, the right still propped up on the leg. "That is, I, uh," she cleared her throat several times. "Was just leaving…uh."

He started to get up towards her quickly, "Oh, no, Erutis, don't leave on my account!" he said before he seemed to realize that he couldn't very well waltz out of the bed in his current state. A/N: personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. :wink: Erutis edged towards the door.

"Ah, no, I, uh…ahem, that is," she waved her fist in the air. "I got what I came for, thanks!" she said, and then fled down the hall, down numerous flights of stairs and then into her room which she found without incident through some miracle.

Shutting her door and leaning against it, breathing heavily, Erutis unclenched her fist and stared down at her empty palm, heart hammering, face blushing, and mind whirring. What was it that made her heart beat a staccato rhythm long after it should have returned to normal? Why was she still blushing when she was away from his presence?

Returning shakily to her bed, Erutis slipped under the covers and stared at the canopy, but it was a long, long while before she finally found sleep.

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AUTHORS'S NOTE: The song was "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)" by The Cheetah Girls, although the original version was featured in the movie Tarzan, I think, not to sure. A Disney flick, at any rate. Hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think! The shmexy blue button thinks Krayon's stolen it's limelight. Time to prove it wrong, ne -smile-


	8. What's In A Name?

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 8: What's In A Name?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, when I was writing down the part where the song's from Tarzan, in my head, I was thinkin' Hercules. –sweatdrop- Yea, I'm a nut. Anyways, thanks to "hm" for pointing out the mistake. –smiles- Well, nothing else I can think of at the moment, so…on with the fic!

Disclaimer: -cries- Those lawyers are such picky bullies!

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Erutis woke the next day from dreams she'd very much like not to admit to having. They were just racy enough to be a little too risqué for her tastes and starred the absolute wrongest person for her to be dreaming about at this point in time. She'd never ever remembered having a dream before with quite that much skin, and the cover of darkness. Not that anything had happened, of course! She shook her head to clear her of the thoughts she was having at the moment. Yawning and dashing off to a quick bath, Erutis hurried into something comfortable and headed to the courtyard. She'd left her students to their own demise for far too long…

Reaching the courtyard, she saw they were in a somewhat acceptable semblance of rows and practicing their strokes like she had bid them do the last time they'd met. She hollered a greeting at them, and they all paused to wave and yell acknowledgements back at her. "Ho, you lot are still on strokes?" she asked as she neared them and came to a stop in front of the assembly.

"Well, it's what you told us to practice, Sensei."

Erutis nodded. "Yes, I suppose I did. Well, that's enough of that for now…you'll still have to practice them daily, of course, they're a great exercise if you really want to become a swordmaster, but for now, I'm going to pair you all up with a partner after I teach you the basic thrust and parry and you'll be practicing on one another. Learn to calculate your opponents moves before they strike, that's always a nifty trick.

Scanning the small crowd, Erutis pointed to a boy with short, curly, golden locks and motioned him to step forward next to her in the front. He gulped in fear and made his way to the indicated spot. "Now," Erutis called to the others. "I'll show you the thrust and then the parry. Okay, the thrust! Raise your sword like this-" She raised her own above her head and watched the frozen boy shiver in anticipation and fear.

His curls weren't _nearly_ as curly nor as outrageous as _his_, Erutis noted with satisfaction. And his eyes were large and blue, widened in fear, not half-lidded and amber, narrowed in seduction like _his_. Unbeknownst to her, her grip and posture had slackened as her thoughts wandered, unbidden and quite inappropriately to someone else. The boy was now shaking visibly from head to toe, and was looking at her in confusion and apprehension. Her gaze had softened on him, but there was also a small smirk of pride, which utterly confused the kid.

Thinking incorrectly that maybe she was bored stupid from his lack of participation, that maybe _he_ was supposed to be the one showing the thrust, he shut his eyes and barreled on into the woman, sword lowered like a spear. The point of the wooden sword caught Erutis on the left side of her stomach, and with a muffled, "oomph", she skittered back, stumbled and fell with the force of the attack. The child stumbled forward a little from it's momentum, but righted himself and looked down at his Sensei in absolute terror.

Rubbing her side and wincing, Erutis stood up, vexed. "BAKA! What'd you do that for! Are you a crazy nut or what! Did I _ask_ you to run into me like that! And that's not a spear!" She pointed at his sword with one hand. "It's a sword, so use it like one!" She turned her back on the boy in a huff, crossing her arms over her chest so that she wouldn't have to see him. He was starting to tear up, and that always made her weak. Even back when she was with Raenef, she recalled with a nostalgic grin.

"Ah, whatever," she said, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't do that next time until I tell you to," she said. The boy nodded and Erutis proceeded to demonstrate the thrust and parry like she'd said she would earlier. Immediately afterwards, she paired them all up and sat down on her hammock, swinging gently, to watch them at it. The lull of the hammock's sway, the warm breeze, the sounds of swordplay…everything hazed together for a bit into just another quiet summer day and she relished the feel of nothing.

Her languid gaze passed over the students and she watched them without a thought in her head. A flash of brown caught her eye and the green orb followed it to the edges of her vision. His clothes were usually of the autumn colors. They suited him well. For all his cockiness, though, he had a surprising amount of modesty. The sleeves of his top were always full length, his pants were always ankle-length, and all the clothes were loose. No tight fitting, muscle baring outfits had she seen on him. And he could have pulled any one of them off, too.

A vague smile made its way across her lips, and she rested her chin in her hand, leaning on it as she swayed in the hammock. It was so strange to be thinking of him in a way that wasn't cocky bastard-ish. She grinned sheepishly. Why had she thought that of him? Well, he had an ego, that was obvious…or was that just him being his "manly" self? He knew he was eyecandy, that was for certain. He wouldn't bother catching the moonlight on his stars and winking at her, smiling those melt-for-me smiles at her, or smirking and staring at her with flip-flops-in-your-tummy half-lidded eyes across the table when they dined together otherwise.

She closed her eyes, reliving the memory of that wink, the smiles, and those beautiful, beautiful, sweetly poisonous eyes. A whisper caught her and snapped her up into an alert sitting position, and she narrowed her eyes, glaring at her students. Someone had distinctly said, "She's not even paying attention, look. She's all smiling and sleeping…There's something wrong with her, guys." Following this statement were a few titters from the others and even some wry comments about their "tough Sensei" acting like a "schoolgirl". She took her wooden sword and chucked it at a random boy.

The weapon caught him square in the face and he yelped, glaring at her in indignation. "I didn't even say anything!"

Erutis shrugged, "Well, then, return my favor to the idiot that did, and tell him to shut up and practice if he wants to stay." She watched amusedly as the boy marched resolutely over to a lanky teen and rapped him soundly on the head, telling him to shut up and mind his own business if he intended to stay. The shamefaced boy in turn, hit the guy next to him, telling him not to whisper inappropriate things about their Sensei when he was trying to practice.

Pretty soon the fray was engaged and she could see with satisfaction that several students were using the techniques she'd just taught them, while others… Well, it was safe to assume that a good number of these students needed much time and practice to become swordmasters. She let them at it for most of the afternoon, and then called a halt to it as the sun started to set.

"Okay boys! You can go home now, and don't forget to practice strokes, and the thrust and parry, too." They grumbled, muttered, and left, a couple noting that they weren't "boys". She shook her head and lay in the hammock for a while afterwards, just thinking. This was twice in the day, not counting her dream, that he'd stolen into her thoughts when she'd rather he not have. The dream she doubted he would have sent because…well…she colored at the memory. He didn't strike her as the type to stoop so low.

Sighing and sitting up, Erutis made her way to the exit knowing her way in the semi-darkness fairly well enough. Except for the tree she ran into- that one left a mark. Rubbing her nose, eyes slightly watering, she reached the doorway without further incident and turned to head towards the chateau. A rippling breeze that stirred nothing beyond her hair made her turn around, frowning.

And there he stood. The snug, red, sleeveless shirt clung to his figure, outlining everything she remembered from the night before and her dream in clear reality. The moonlight glinted on the damp locks and his pearlescent teeth as he grinned. There were wet spots on his shirt and the top part of the lacings on his black pants weren't completely done up properly. He looked as though he'd come in a hurry. Striding over to her, he made a quick apology. (A/N: it's -drools- the outfit, well, the top, at least, of that extra picture at the end of volume 7! The one where his hand is in front of the camera)

"I'm terribly sorry for arriving so late, you see, they'd just informed me that you were with your students." He added sheepishly, "I was in the bath, hiding from my advisors, you see." His boyish blush was just so endearing… "As you can see, I'm not properly dressed or dried, but I couldn't let you walk back all alone, you understand, and I've been too busy lately, so I've been having your students turned away…"

"What!"

"Well, Erutis dear, you must understand, I-" But the rest of his explanation was lost to her as she contemplated the anxious look on his face, the concern he showed, how his lips moved in speech, the way his bangs fell into those eyes, how the shirt clung to him, the way the loose lacings of his pants hung loose on his tight figure- NOT that she could SEE anything, and even the way his long legs moved, one in front of the other.

A warm hand rested on her shoulder, "Dear? Are you alright? I said I was sorry, and I really am, I've just been so busy lately, with the ball coming…and, my dear, I know you've been dragged into this as well, but I don't want you doing anything you're not comfortable doing. If you don't wish to wear the dress, that's perfectly alright with me, really. You needn't do anything on my account." His anxious look searched her face.

"Oh, ah, wha?" She looked up at him, surprised to find her back against the silver gate and him standing so very close to her, looking down at her, figuring her out. She turned hastily, blushing at his proximity, and pushed at the gates. "Uh, it's fine, Krayon, really." She stepped through the door and turned, realizing he hadn't followed her inside.

He was standing frozen in the doorway, the gates open, as though they were the gates of heaven, allowing an angel entry. His mouth hung open slightly and he was staring at her as though he couldn't believe his eyes…or ears. She stood with her arms akimbo, wondering what she'd done. "What?"

"You just said my name," he said in a low voice. "My actual name, not my title, my holding, or any nickname you'd thought up on the spot. And you waved away my infringement on your right as a Sensei…"

She blushed somewhat, but opted to try for a casual, offhand tone, which she almost worked if it weren't for the occasional stutter. "It's nothing, I-I've said your name before, too. Uh, remember?"

He smiled, "Not in a casual way you haven't. It's always been laced with anger before now. Now it just felt…as though it were the most natural thing in the world…I like the way it sounds when you say it." His gaze softened as it rested on the speechless, beet red girl, then he cut an elegant bow before he strode over, reached for her hand and kissed it delicately. It was nothing more than the fleeting whisper of his lips to her hand, but it shot tingles through her, and she gasped at the unexpected action, automatically jerking her hand back, but his grip held it firmly. Standing, still holding her hand, he whispered into her ear, "Goodnight, love. Sleep well!"

"Uh…I-" she stuttered as he strode past her, lightly dropping her hand. "Uh, Goodnight!" she called after him, and he turned on the spot, grinning and raised a hand in acknowledgement of the well wish.

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AUTHORS'S NOTE: HAHA, WE HAVE MORE INTIMATE INTERACTION! And a knowing of different feelings! Hehe, please please please review! They make me so happy! Btw, I actually had this finished before noon this morning, but didn't get a chance to upload it till now. -cries- Sorry!


	9. The Dream Alone

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 9: The Dream Alone

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, long time no update! I'm truly, truly, truly sorry for that, but I honestly don't like cranking summit out for the sole purpose of cranking it out. And I've been feeling –evil grin- _inspired_ as of late, and we all know what happens when I feel inspired, ne? Kekeke.. e.e

This is another one of them dream sequences, btw. Oh, random question, but, if they got it on in a dream, would they still be virgins? O.o Something to think about, eh? XD I'm soo weird, lol. Read on!

Originally, this was going to be the start of that Demon Lord Gathering thinger, but after reading over the last chapter, I decided a short dream sequence was due! I'm sry, that must be kinda evil of me, lol, right? No worries, though, k, I'll dish out another chapter!

Disclaimer: Bleh. Leave ma alone aready!

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Her footsteps echoed down the hall and while every hall seemed to look exactly the same as the next one in this labyrinthine chateau, she had the distinct impression that she'd walked down this particular hall before. The walls blurred by and still she was certain of her conviction. Her suspicions were confirmed as she found herself in front of a set of immense double doors, laced with golden curlicues.

In the normal way of things, the memories from the other night would have driven her from the door as if fiends of hell were biting her ankles. This however, had the ethereal feel of a dream, and as she'd noticed, her choices were not always her own on this plane. There was an airy feel of eternity in these moments and it seemed the decisions of today would be nothing more than memories for tomorrow. Nothing would make a lasting scratch…she had forever.

So the dream figure laid a hand on the warm wood and let the doors fly open to reveal the lavish and breathtaking room inside. The even more lavish and breathtaking figure sat in front of the unnaturally wide balcony with the incredible view, contemplating the scenery.

He tilted his head marginally and smiled a warm smile such as the kind she'd come to expect. "M'dear." He rose from his seat and strode over to her, his deep green attire matching her eyes and bringing out his golden tresses.

They met in a warm embrace and she wondered at how easy it was to accept the kindly gesture as opposed to pushing away.

"You needn't overdue yourself for the ball, darling," he muttered soothingly, the quiet echo filling her head and the soft rumble of his chest as he spoke vibrating in her ears.

It was permissible, in this controlled environment that the two of them alone knew of, to stay this way: entangled in each other's arms and sharing the warmth that only two bodies can create. It was not a sin in this place to marvel at the soft texture of his locks brushing her cheeks. It was forgivable, too, to enjoy the rhythmic rubbing of his hand across the small of her back, comforting, lulling…

"I'm not," she answered, remembering he had asked her a question.

"You're getting used to the Dream Plane, aren't you?" he asked, glancing down at her, and steadily leading her to the bed. "You no longer mix up your physical state with this mental one."

She nodded, not quite caring what he said. But he continued anyhow, obviously used to no meaningful comments from her end. "You may want to have Aya wash your clothes." He indicated her swordsmaster outfit. "Comfort is key to composure."

She nodded once again and he laughed that low, incredibly masculine sound that stained her cheeks crimson. There was something about the laid back way he did that. Laughed. The way his eyes closed and then, when he neared the end of his amusement, how they'd open slowly, languidly, and come to rest alluringly on her. Something about the way his mouth curled and his teeth gleamed pearlescently.

A sudden realization as to her train of thoughts caused her to glance away and try contemplating other matters, but a rough yet gentle touch on her chin led her eyes back to his. The thumb stroked her cheek and the eyes probed hers, searching for an answer to the question of his soul.

As his face fell closer and closer to hers, she felt the sound of her heart beating faster and faster, while she herself was unable to pull away or dash for the door. A small part of her registered a decided unwillingness to do so. The breeze from the balcony ruffled through everything and the fresh atmosphere, she decided was perfect.

He paused, however, his face not far from her own, and his eyes dropped along with his hand. There seemed a pained expression on his face as he turned it away to face the balcony ahead.

She found her voice in time to ask, "Why didn't you?" It was a simple question, and neither of them had any doubt as to what she was referring.

A wry smile twisted his lips and for the first time to her eyes, he appeared vulnerable, and like a man who'd seen so many years the novelty had worn off. He looked, she realized, like someone who could see the forbidden fruit, decided he wanted it no matter the consequences, but finds that it is just that much too high for him to grasp. Just far enough that he cannot reach it.

He stood up, then, and avoided her eyes.

"I'm a Lord of Dreams," he stated quietly. "The thing about dreams," he continued, voice laced with cynic humor. "Is that they are just that. No matter what I am able to accomplish here, or force-" here his eyes glanced quickly at her, then away again. "-it would never actually come to be. And no matter how good it is on this Plane, no matter how blissful, I'm imbued with the knowledge of how much better it would be in reality. And so it is just a way of deluding myself. It would never be, so why tantalize myself with shattered pieces of a broken promise?"

He lifted his chin and pointed at the scene outside the balcony's rails. "The sun is rising," he commented. "Today's the day." There was something to his demeanor that betrayed his nerves. It was truly at this moment that she realized how much the day might hold for –or snatch from- him.

A warm hand covered her shoulder, and he squeezed it gently, affectionately. In a spurt of emotion, her body was pulled to his and she felt his breath tickle her neck as he whispered, "Good morning," into her ear.

Then, even as she struggled to stay asleep, a sharp stab of sunlight pierced the closed lids of her eyes and irritated her awake.

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AUTHORS'S NOTE: Well? Questions? Comments? Flames? All are welcome! -smiles- I hope you liked it. Just because you're bound to get another chapter soon, though, doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate a review for this one, too… pretty please?


	10. Stairway Temperatures

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 10: Stairway Temperatures

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, okay, I know I said you'd get another chapter soon, and this is obviously not soon, but still, I do have a lot on my plate. However, I think I just might be…INSPIRED. –blinks- Yeeeaa…, well, I dunno, I just hope this chapter is worth the wait.

The ball will be done in parts, not just one whole chapter. –grins- I think it would be like squeezing a whole bunch of moments into one small space if I tried to do it at once. I think this chapter will be proof of that.

Disclaimer: I'd be a WHOLE lot richer if I owned Demon Diary, y'know… Now I'm depressed. –pouts-

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"Ugh!" Erutis shielded her eyes, wincing, and turned in annoyance away from the sharp rays of the sun. Burying her head under a pillow or two, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to regain the dream plane, but to no avail. It was no use- she was awake now. Sighing, the young maiden flopped onto her back and stared at the gently sloping canopy of her four-poster bed. The early morning wind was already ruffling the gossamer curtains and putting her in a morning-ish mood.

In a flurry of cloth, pins and a feeling of being rushed, Aya swept into the room before Erutis had properly sat up. She was muttering distractedly to herself and there was a crease in her forehead where she'd obviously spent a good deal of time worrying.

Not wishing to add to her lady-in-waiting's work list, the swordsmaster whisked away to the bathroom to have herself a good soak. By the time she was done, and in the process of towel drying her red locks, Aya was just about ready to get started. Also eager to get this over and done with, the green-eyed girl took hold of the dress. The dress, however, was snatched from her fingers as she was about to slip it over her head.

"My lady!" Aya protested, aghast.

Erutis blinked. "What?"

The younger woman pursed her lips in disapproval and shook her head, but didn't comment. Instead, she picked up a small vial of some liquid and placed dabs of it on her fingertips. This concoction, in turn, was artfully placed in select areas on Erutis's being. Neck, wrists, collarbone, behind the ears, etc. It didn't take long for Erutis to figure out it was scent. The uncouth girl had to admit; it was pleasant to the nose.

After the seemingly ceremonial Dabbing of the Scent was the equally ceremonial Donning of the Dress. This was followed by the similarly ceremonial though much stretched out Doing of the Hair. The formality of it all was tiresome, and Erutis slumped on the ornate stool she was placed on, staring glumly at her expression in the mirror of the ornate vanity she was seated before.

A sharp rap on her back perked her upright. "Don't slump, your ladyship," Aya commanded. In this realm of frills and frolics, the lady-in-waiting held supreme authority. "You'll wrinkle the dress. You must sit upright. Tilt your chin just a hair above normal- that will give you the proper regal charm. Fold your hands primly when they are not in immediate use- right hand over left. When at all possible, flash the ring at all present. It is a sign of ownership, and you want very much to show you are proud to be associated with His Lordship."

The redhead could feel her brain whirling. There were so many rules! And this was being lenient on her! But Aya wasn't through quite yet. It seemed the servant had kept a close eye on Erutis and had picked out all the habits that would have to go- at least for the evening.

"Do not scratch your head. Not only will you make a horrible mess of the pretty way I've arranged your hair, it is an uncouth habit. Also, do not yawn. If you must, flick your fan out and fan it delicately before your mouth. Using your other hand, delicately cover your mouth behind the fan. Only open your mouth a small fraction of the way in proper ladylike fashion. Never take a bite more than half the size of your mouth. Chew completely and swallow. Do not down the wine in one gulp, or even two. Sip. Swill the contents languidly before sipping. It will give you an elegant air, and will seem you are at greater ease with your surroundings."

"Ow!" Aya had pulled a strand or two.

"Begging your pardon," the handmaiden quipped without missing a beat. "Now, about your face-"

Erutis felt this was going to be a very, very long morning.

"Keep your expression always removed. A good one to practice is a small, detached smile. This makes you seem semi-interested, and also above everything all at once. Do not wrinkle your brow. If you are skeptical of something you're told, simply raise an eyebrow in suspicion and move on. If something amuses you, it is permissible to laugh, but only a small laugh, and this must immediately be covered daintily with your hand, and you should look properly apologetic, but not overly so, lest you come over as a doormat."

Erutis had long since decided it was useless to soak up all the information. She'd opted, instead, merely to nod and make periodic, assertive noises, such as "Mhmm…okay….indeed" and "Will do."

"Also, when at the ball, do not make periodic assertive noises of disinterest such as you are doing now." Erutis froze guiltily, and sweatdropped visibly. "Instead, opt for a genuinely interested expression and use words such as, "'Oh?', 'Is that so?', 'I see', and 'Quite right!' Do not nod and smile. Instead, tilt her your head just so and blink once or twice, as though engrossed by what you've been told."

The hair was finally done, and stealing a glance in the mirror, the redhead failed to recognize herself. It seemed impossible that she, of the clumsy feet and no coordination might look as graceful as the mirror promised. The reflection must needs be a lie, she thought, and turned gruffly, standing up.

"Never stand gruffly like so," Aya reprimanded immediately. "Stand, instead, slowly and carefully, but smoothly." She demonstrated the proper way for a lady to stand from her seat and then bade Erutis to follow suit. The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing the various things Aya had instructed Erutis in earlier. Then came the fan lessons.

The swordsmaster was taught how to flick open the fan, how to wave it properly, how to send the right, subtle messages using the fan, and how to hold it when it was not in use. Most importantly, however, Erutis was taught how to NOT let it bang into things as it hung from her wrist, closed. Following the fan lessons, of course, were the dance lessons.

The two women waltzed about the room. Occasionally feet were trodden on, and this was reprimanded and later fixed. Sometimes, too, Erutis would fall to the floor due to an over-exuberant dip. The various turns and twirls were demonstrated and artfully attempted. The sun completed its timely journey across the heavens and the lady-in-waiting announced that there was no way for Erutis to improve any more within the span of the evening. Some final primpings, a few last minute reminders, and it seemed the moment was here.

"So, uh," Erutis voiced, trying to ignore the sudden dipping of her heart to the region of her stomach. Her mouth suddenly felt a lot drier than she remembered it being. "Where exactly is this being held?"

"Down in the ballroom. You wouldn't have been there before. As your lady-in-waiting, I am to escort you there. Also important is for you to make an entrance. This will prove you are not trying to hide from the facts but are boldly being presented. Pray do not use the dress to wipe off your sweaty hands, my Lady. Here, use this instead." A white handkerchief was tossed to the nervous young woman and she was given time to wipe away the excess sweat.

It was incredibly hard for the maiden to ignore the jittery feeling and bellyflops. There seemed a surety of failure. She simply was not the elegant type, whatever the way she looked tonight might make it seem…she simply wasn't.

"My Lady?" Aya stood, proffering her arm. The ball was about to begin. Erutis gulped and nestled her hand in the crook of her servant's arm and stepped, as though in a daze, behind her. All the while, Aya was whispering under her breath.

"Now remember, regal, elegant, detached, the fan- we worked on that as well, uhm…" Erutis realized, for perhaps the firs time, that the lady-in-waiting was just as flustered as she was. Erutis wasn't paying attention to where they were going, and as a result, all the hallways passed by in a blur. Before she knew what was going on, they were at the top of an elegant flight of marble steps embellished by an ornate, polished gold railing. They lead down to what she assumed was the ballroom, although it was hidden from her view at the moment.

A gentle squeeze on her arm brought her back to the present. Turning quizzically, she quirked an eyebrow in question at the other woman. "Most importantly, however, my lady, you must be yourself." She smiled and turned, making her way briskly down the halls, heels clicking away.

Erutis blinked. Well, if that weren't the most contradictory set of instructions she'd ever been given! Shaking her head slightly, she took the first step into the ballroom. It wasn't as bad as it might be, she mused silently to herself. Another step was conquered. There didn't seem to be all that many people, anyhow. The third step was passed. Maybe-just maybe she'd be able to do this. The fourth hurdle jumped. On the fifth step, she froze. At the bottom of the stairs, there stood a figure. She couldn't see any higher than his waist, but she knew without a doubt, who must be standing at the foot to greet her.

Either she was dying or experiencing severe cardiac arrest, because the way Erutis' heart was beating was insane. There was an honest moment's fear that it might beat itself right out of her chest! He'd never seen her in an honest to God _dress_ before. That is, no one had. Until now. This very moment. As soon as she took another step. Her mouth was dry and the sweating that had been easing returned in full force. The gloves were going to have splotchy bits of moisture all over them- most unbecoming. Her feet seemed frozen and it struck her that she looked ridiculous. What was a swordsmaster doing in a ballroom full of demon lords anyway?

In truth, she might've stayed there all night on that fifth step, wondering at her own stupidity and quite determined not to go any further. She might've camped out on the fifth step and hummed quietly to herself. She might've done any number of things at the top of the elegant sweep of stairs- if it weren't for the ribbon around her ankles. The ribbon with the bit that hung loose and, coincidentally enough, under her shoe. The ribbon that tripped her.

It was just as she was bout to shift her feet, contemplating actually sitting on the step. She misguided her foot so it didn't quite fall on the right step, and then the ribbon caught under her foot and she had time only to feel her heart plunge into her stomach as she plunged down the steps.

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Krayon stood waiting gallantly at the bottom of the steps. She would be coming soon. His innards writhed about at the thought of seeing her again. It seemed like such a long time since he'd seen her last! They hadn't had any sort of meaningful interaction in a long while. He'd be endowed with the opportunity of holding her rough, calloused hand in his and leading her to the table. And then- his heart raced at the mere _possibility_- perhaps…perhaps… He felt his cheeks color at the thought that maybe his ladylove might honor him with a single dance. If that might be so, he thought, then the evening would have been a complete and utter success. He would need no more.

His ears picked up the sound of whisperings from the top of the stairs and a light footstep. His heart raced. He felt the palm of his right hand- laid at rest on op of the ball at the end of the railing- start to sweat. The moisture collected on the polished orb. He knew he should wait patiently at the bottom like a good gentleman and give her all the time she needed to primp up a bit before making her entrance…

But the thought of his Erutis right at the top of this flight of stairs was too much! Slowly and stealthily, he made his way up, sending covert glances to the gathering in the ballroom. No one would notice his absence if he just shimmied on up- He turned his face just in time to see a surprised looking Erutis plummeting into him. It was all he could do to keep the two of them from toppling down the steps and landing in an undignified heap.

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She remembered falling and then, being utterly surprised at how suddenly he appeared. Gracelessly, she barreled into him, reminding herself of some sort of bull ramming into anything and everything. It was a decidedly unladylike feeling. But she couldn't think about it too much because at that moment, her face was pressed into his chest and his arms were wrapped around her tightly. Of course, this was so that he could find a balance between them and the steps, but that wasn't what Erutis was thinking at the moment.

The two finally teetered into some sort of reverse fall, where they ended up sprawled on the upper few steps rather than tumbling down the much longer flight. A falling up, if you will. There was a few seconds' slight pause in which both carefully avoided looking at the other and the sound of rapid breathing that was trying to be stifled was heard. Erutis cleared her throat nervously.

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The sound of Erutis clearing her throat drew his eyes inevitably. There was a new pause, in which no breathing was heard, for both parties had quite forgotten how to engage in the exercise. Krayon stared, openmouthed and quite unashamedly at the vision in white.

The dress flowed about her, silk cloth underneath and gossamer skirts over. Her feet were covered with soft, dainty white slippers that tied up with ribbons along her legs…of which he was seeing quite a bit with the way the skirts fell around her as she sat in her disheveled state. Dragging his eyes away from this racy scene, Krayon contemplated the top, which had a beautifully embroidered neckline. Where the dress ended at the tips of her shoulders, the gossamer cloth trailed away like some Greek fantasy. The same embroidery was picked up in the long, elegant gloves she wore. On her right hand there was a beautiful ring of green and gold which he'd given her, hoping she'd wear it this night. From her delicate neck hung a pearl teardrop. The neckwear was fashioned so that it literally swung like a pendulum, the fall of the chain drawing a watcher's eyes lower… A/N: one of those things where the necklace is just a chain and from there swings a smaller chain that has the ornament on it. Her lips had been tinted ever so slightly, and at the moment, they were parted in question. Teardrop pearls dangled from her ears and over her glass green eyes there was a slight tint of color. Her fiery red locks had been adorned with tiny, simple white flowers.

The image of whirling about in bliss across the ballroom floor with his too-cute swordmaster was blown away by this new phenomenon.

-----

She coughed slightly, and adjusted her skirts, making the gold bracelets on her wrists clink together. She had to do something to get her mind and eyes away from him. He was dressed in a white shirt with a deep green tunic over. The green matched her eyes exactly. The gold belt buckle complimented his hair nicely, and the brown breeches managed to pick up tones from his hair and eyes at once. The brown, leather boots, too, had gold buckles, and there was an ornately carved, green and gold dagger strapped to his side. He cut the IMAGE of dashing gentleman. There was even a green and gold earring in the shape of an orb hanging off his left ear.

There was something…something about seeing him again, or maybe it was the colors he was wearing, or maybe it was the bloody earring- heck, it might even be the fact that she had gotten all dressed up, specifically for him, but whatever the case may be, she felt like her body temperature had just skyrocketed. The staircase didn't seem to provide enough room for the both of them. She had to- to do or say something to bring this intense quality down to something she could handle.

"Are we going anywhere, or what, Fancy-Pants?" She assumed an annoyed air, or so she thought. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered how she wasn't supposed to use that expression, but she didn't care too much right now. Her interjection did little to change his openmouthed look, however.

"My dear…I had no notion…" he murmured. Somehow, the quiet, low, mumbling quality of his voice only added to that hot atmosphere she was trying so hard to dispel. His eyes roved once, then twice, in quick succession over her being, and then a third time, slower…

"Will you take me down already, Master Creepo!" she demanded hotly, completely flummoxed at the way her cheeks would _not_ return to their normal color. She stuck her hand in front of his face, foot tapping in impatience. He grinned slightly, and she "hmphed". He took her hand gently, kissed the top, and managed to sketch a beautiful bow in the closed stairway.

Beaming, he placed her hand on his arm and asked chivalrously, "Shall we?"

"What do you think I've been trying to tell you all the while?" she grumbled, looking away. He was smiling, and she hadn't thought to bring a pair of shades with her. A room always brightened so, when he flashed those pearly whites…

They stepped slowly down the stairs and she heard someone announce their arrival with much fanfare. A part of her registered that everyone would be looking at them now, but somehow, she managed to plaster a truly genuine smile on her face by the time the gathered lords got a glimpse of it. She refused utterly to think it might be due to Krayon's gentle, encouraging squeeze of her hand.

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AUTHORS'S NOTE: OMG, looong chapter! TT Umm…what to say? Oh, well, THE BALL HAS STARTED! Isn't everyone just soo excited! XD Lol, I know, I know, but I _do_ like to pretend every now and then. –girns- Aright, leave me reviews and make me feel like I didn't waste time I might've otherwise spent typing up my two essays!


	11. Little White Lies

It's Not What You Think  
Chapter 11: Little White Lies

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow! I know it has been an incredibly loooong time since last I updated, and I do apologize for that. But more than that, I want to thank all my wonderful, wonderful, wonderful reviewers, because I got quite a few reviews lately and it made me reread my story and want to continue it, so remember: you make the updates happen. -grins- God, it's been _such a long time since the last update, omg, so sorry to all you people who've been reading it with no hope of an end._ TT Wow, I suck mucho, huh?

I actually had this done a week or so ago, but my bloody router is a freakin' dirtbag!!! -cries-

Disclaimer: I haven't even _read_ Demon Diary in the past two years let alone _own_ it! So sad...

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Erutis steeled herself for the blindingly bright ballroom. It wasn't so much the lights that blinded her as the knowledge that every pair of eyes in the room was directed at her. Not just directed, either, but scrutinizing, judging, esteeming... She never wore dresses at the best of times, and to be wearing one and feeling very much unworthy of it's beauty while being visually smashed from every angle is an anxious thing. She decided immediately not to meet anyone's eyes, but stare straight ahead.

Krayon's warm and gentle fingers massaged hers periodically, as though he was afraid she'd faint and was trying to make sure her blood kept circulating. Of course, ever the performer, he appeared completely at ease. Erutis was probably the only one who realized he was worried about her.

Within the first five minutes of politely, yet semi-haughtily smiling around at everyone, she'd already managed to steal three glances at Krayon. He was taller than she was, of course, and usually conversing with someone, so the most she saw was that extremely se- er, really nice earing dangling next to his incredibly masculine jawline. Somehow, even _this_ sent Erutis into mortifying blush fests.

_'This is ridiculous,'_ she chided herself. _'It's a jaw. For crying out loud _I_ have a jaw, too!'_ Still, the fact remained that Krayon's jaw seemed very appealing to her.

Painful minutes crept by slowly but surely, and Erutis hoped very much her hair hadn't managed to come undone from the flowers and that her smile didn't look like it would break her face- which is rather how it felt. It wasn't as bad as it easily could have been. All she had to do was stick close to Krayon, their arms entwined, and nod stately every now and then when she was introduced. Sometimes, when she was feeling daring, she'd toss in a demure "How do you do?" This usually made her feel very proud of herself for at least a minute or two. It helped that whenever she did something like this, Krayon's hand would give hers an extra squeeze, and she'd catch him smiling in a mildly amused manner at nothing in particular.

It was strange, for some reason, this didn't make her want to crush his foot like she normally would have done. In fact, and she was quite embarrassed at the thought, she felt like slapping his arm playfully. In another instant, it was as if the world had fallen on her head. Flirting. She felt like flirting with him. She, _Erutis,_ felt like flirting with him, _Krayon- _the effeminate little- little... But she couldn't think how to finish that sentence. Little what? She stared at the white marble floor laid with the thinnest of gold rivulets. Her reflection stared back at her.

It was official. Erutis had lost her mind. That was the only possible explanation the young swordswoman could come up with for her unacceptable behavior. Not hating him anymore was okay, she'd decided, but becoming besotted was still certainly a no-no. When had this happened?! _'Calm down, there's obviously a really simple answer to all of this,'_ her brain informed her. _'Get away from him. You've been too close to him for too long now and it's messing with your head. Go get a drink or something.'_ Well, her brain hadn't ever been wrong before...well, okay, maybe once or twice, but whatever.

She was about to open her mouth and inform her escort that she needed to go freshen up (weren't ladies always saying stuff like that?) when someone cleared their voice loudly enough to be heard over the general din in the room. All eyes turned to the raven haired speaker standing on the stage. Honestly, no matter how much she looked at the man, there was always something about Eclipse that gave off intense waves of attraction. It was like his existence yelled at you that there was an ATTRACTIVE, TALLDARKANDHANDSOME OLDER MAN in the vicinity. Kind of like Krayon's yelled GLOMPALICIOUS GOLDEN BOY, ne? She firmly shook her head at that thought.

The motion alerted a certain Demon Lord to the whereabouts of the one he was looking for.

"Erutis!" That crystal clear voice could only belong to...

Erutis grinned and turned around, waving enthusiastically and waiting patiently for Raenef to clamber down from the stage and run towards her, an irritated Eclipse trailing his master with scoldings of "My Lord, I was speaking..." falling on deaf ears. The crowds parted to let the two through and watched avidly at the scene taking place. In the few seconds it took for them to make their way over, the redhead became acutely aware of all the eyes watching. She couldn't slip up just because her friend was here. And it didn't pass her knowledge that Krayon had stiffened up noticeably on the arrival of his fellow Demon Lord and his attendee.

Before Raenef did something unintentionally stupid, Erutis quickly cut a curtsy and extended her hand for him to take and kiss, properly. She managed to not trip. "How have you been, My Lord Raenef?" she inquired, just loudly enough for those nearby to hear. Raenef's mouth dropped open and had Eclipse been a lesser man (or demon) he most certainly would have undertaken an anime fall. Both seemed to do a mental double take and drink in the appearance of Erutis in a dress, with flowers in her hair- behaving, of all things, like a _lady._

"And Eclipse," she continued, hoping desperately that she didn't look as stupid as she felt and that no one had noticed her gloves were starting to get clammy from how sweaty her hands were. She acknowledged him with a dignified tilt of her head. "It's good to see you both in excellent health." As she spoke, she could clearly hear Aya saying these exact same words. Suddenly, she knew what the solution to the evening would be. She would not be Swordsmaster Erutis this day. No, she would now become Aya. Anything feminine that Aya did always looked elegant and graceful, not stupid and lumbering.

"Ah, and of course, you've already met," she gulped and forced herself to get the words out without blushing, "my fiancé, his Lordship Krayon of Egae." Now Raenef and Eclipse weren't the only ones stupefied by this news. The ballroom instantly broke out in the buzzing noise of gossip being spread like wildfire, and Krayon by her side stiffened even more, if possible. She refused to look at him and instead, continued to smile at her friends as though nothing out of the ordinary had been said.

"Did she say _fianc_é?"

"That's what I heard."

"Wasn't this just a presentation? When did they get engaged?"

"Did you know it was this far along?"

Too late, Erutis realized that maybe she'd picked the wrong choice of words, but no time to worry about that, now. Clearly it was the new Raenef that kicked in when her friend etched an admirable bow and kissed her hand delicately. "I am well, thank you, M'lady." Nodding, he acknowledged Krayon and continued, "Wonderful occasion to see you, of course."

Krayon recovered quickly from the multiple shocks and she couldn't help but envy his grace under pressure. How hard did he have to work at it? "My Lord Raenef, you honor me." He, too, tilted his head marginally. Eclipse dropped to one knee before the senior Demon Lord and it really would seem that everything was going quite smoothly. But of course, all good things must come to an end...

"Come now, what's with all this formal introduction? This is a _ball_, isn't it?" called a husky, sultry voice from the back. Meruhesae walked languidly through the crowd and posed before them, facing the four. She motioned for the band to play and they obliged readily. Most of the Lords and Ladies dispersed, whispering and acquiring dance partners. Meruhesae, without ever taking her eyes off Erutis, walked slowly up to the group, looking as though she had just received a bonus tribute, à la virgin boy from the village.

"Little girl," she crooned into Erutis's ear, bending low to achieve a level height, and effectively allowing Eclipse to gain an ample view of her bosom. Eclipse, however, was silently mourning the loss of his speech which he'd spent so many hours preparing, and was currently dead to the world. "What say you and I have a nice dance?"

The "girl" shivered at the thought of having to spend so much time in this creature's presence. Remembering she was a proper lady, Aya, tonight, she cleared her throat delicately and wrapped her other arm around the one of Krayon's she was already holding. "I'm ever so sorry, but I've promised the first of many dances to my Lord." She leaned in ever so slightly into him, hoping it made for an effective show of possession and how very little Erutis wanted to be near Meruhesae. The creepy sex fiend.

"Is that so?" The older woman glanced at Krayon and smirked. "That must be what has gotten his face that nice shade of beet red, then," she concluded.

"H-How dare you liken my features to that of a beet?" Krayon said hoarsely, barely louder than a whisper. It was clear to all of them that his heart really wasn't in defending his features, which might well be a first for him.

"Hmm...well, one then, I suppose, but I must insist on having the second dance," Meruhesae intoned, winking at Eclipse who merely sweatdropped, and slinking away. She was immediately accosted by numerous young demons waiting to escort her.

Erutis let out the breath she was holding, and turned to the others in relief. There followed a moment of awkward silence. "Oh, c'mon!" she huffed, slightly miffed. "I _am_ a girl!" she reminded them.

"Yea, but it's so easy to forget that with you sometimes!" Raenef quipped innocently. "I mean, it's not as if you ever _act_ like one-"

The young woman felt her eyebrow twitch violently. "I-get-it!" she barked.

Poor Raenef blinked, confused. "Wha-? Did I say something?" Everyone sweatdropped.

-----

Krayon was sure he was in excellent health, so why was it exponentially harder to breathe than it had been a few seconds ago? It was a ball. She was his lady. It was _expected_ that they would share _at least_ one dance, if not all of them. Maybe it was because she'd been the one to whip out the suggestion. Or maybe it was because she'd held his arm and seemed to sink into him like she had... Or maybe it was the fact that she'd referred to him as her fiancé.

Whatever the case, he no longer felt any animosity whatsoever towards Raenef (well, he hadn't for some time now). But more importantly, he wasn't feeling particularly envious of Eclipse, either. He'd known for a while that Erutis at least considered him good enough to lust after (in as much as Erutis was capable of lusting). But at this moment, not only did Eclipse not hold her attention, it was Krayon that had it, and Krayon who she'd turned to for protection against strangers (or at least, Meruhesae), and Krayon with whom she'd be dancing at least one of the dances! He could not believe his awesome luck.

His love would be accepted, now, he knew for sure. She'd put on a superb performance, for one thing. For another, she had the full compliments of at least one Demon Lord- two, counting Krayon. Now, about that dance...

He cleared his throat, and nudged the woman at his side gently. "Dear? About what you just said..."

"Oh, uh...heh," he heard her squeak. "Listen, I, uh, I'm really thirsty. Y'know, the bright lights and all that, I just, umm," The Demon Lord could have kicked himself. How could he be so inconsiderate of his love?

"Of course!" he switched gears immediately. "Would you like for me to get you some-"

"Nono! I mean," she cleared her throat. "No, I uh, I can get it myself, thanks." She kept her eyes on the floor, the walls, or the opposite shoulder, never looking at him. He was starting to get seriously worried, but didn't want to pressure her. Goodness knows she'd been pressured enough this day. And besides, half a wrong thought and she was liable to lash out at him, and that would simply kill the magic of the evening.

"If you're sure..." he said dubiously.

She ran off without another second to spare, leaving Krayon's side to be filled by cold air where her warm body had been. He felt a certain sense of dismay. Had he gotten too hopeful too fast? He watched her approach the table with drinks and wondered if she knew Meruhesae was making her way over. He'd keep an eye out.

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Erutis slumped over the long table under the pretense of filling her glass with a warm, burgundy colored wine. She had no idea what it tasted like or what was in it but it was the closest bottle so to heck with that. She found she was breathing hard and for some reason, had the self-pitying urge to cry her eyes out. As soon as this ball was over she would definitely see a healer of some sort and figure out what was wrong with herself.

She had barely straightened up and turned around when she came face to face with the sultry Meruhesae. Erutis backed up a step and met the hard edge of the table. She had no escape just yet. Instead, she cradled her wineglass like she remembered seeing Krayon do in an earlier dream and swirled the contents casually as Aya had instructed. She offered the Demon Lady a polite smile and moved to walk around her.

"You know...he was actually one of my favorites," Meruhesae said.

The red haired swordswoman knew she shouldn't fall for the bait, but despite that, couldn't help herself. She stopped herself just in time from blurting out, "The heck are you talking about?" and instead, glanced over her shoulder and asked, "Pardon?"

Meruhesae only smiled and leaned against the table where Erutis had stood moments before. It was a clear trap and just as clearly Erutis stepped into it. Turning to face the woman, she took a sip of her wine and asked as casually as she could, "What had you said?" The older woman filled her own glass full of a deep brown wine and stepped closer to Erutis, as though taking her into private confidences. She motioned with a jerk of her head and trailing eyes to the green and brown clad Demon Lord.

"My Lord?" Erutis was conscious of her heart rate speeding up and her body feeling physically ready for confrontation. "What of him?"

"He was one of my favorites," Meruhesae repeated.

The younger woman let the confusion show clearly on her face. Meruhesae laughed and elaborated. "Men come and go, you understand. He was quite the charmer. Wealthy, handsome, titled, powerful, and such an accomplished lover-!" She made a show of fanning the lust from her face and laughed airily. Erutis felt a buzzing in her ears and felt her blood pounding. She took another sip of her wine for lack of anything better to do. "I can understand even now why you'd fall all over yourself to be with him- I can't imagine the affect he'd have on a mere mortal like yourself!"

The buzzing got louder and her blood pumped faster. The next sip of wine Erutis took was quite larger than her last. There was so much that was offending her from this woman's speech that it was hard to know where to begin. Yet, that wasn't what was bothering her most. She wanted to hear the end of this. Wanted to see what exactly she meant by everything. She glanced at Krayon again. Someone had just said something amusing and he was laughing, leaning back, Adam's apple bobbing with each breath he drew. One of his hands rested on the hilt of his ornate dagger. He was the image of perfect, chivalrous, masculine competence. She realized with a stab that having this trashy woman speak of him so familiarly was frankly, pissing the hell out of her.

Her voice and demeanor instantly turned colder. "Oh?" she inquired, taking another large sip of wine.

Meruhesae giggled, immediately drawing out her fan and snapping it open in front of herself. Erutis wanted to snap it shut and shove it up her nose. The dark haired Lady seemed to take in Erutis's silence for the first time. "Oh, I'm not troubling you am I, Dearie?" she asked.

"Not at all," Erutis returned icily. The ice seemed to have missed Meruhesae who patted her shoulder lightly.

"Good, good," she said absently. "That Eclipse is turning out to be quite the hard nut to crack, you know." She sighed in disappointment. "In fact, if I'm not careful, I'll end up coming back to Krayon as soon as he's done with you. Maybe even sooner, if things really turn ugly." She was thinking out loud and totally oblivious to the fact that what she'd just said was in fact, incredibly offensive. She caught Erutis's look of shock- a look like she'd just been slapped. Laughing, she said in a little over a whisper, "Oh, come now, you didn't really think he'd stay with you, did you? I mean, _look _at him! A man like that needs a woman that's fitting. Oh, he'll chase you for a while, no doubt, but how long do you expect that to last? Men lose interest quickly. Especially when a new day yields nothing new."

Erutis didn't know what to say, really. She closed her mouth as Aya had said leaving it hanging open was very unladylike. But Meruhesae was still talking some more. "...and at the end of the day, really, you're nothing more than a human. There are some things that only a Demon Lady can give a Demon Lord. He may have a fetish for playing about with human girls for a while, but it's something I can overlook. And anyhow, don't you think a body like _that_ requires one of equal caliber?" Eyes twitching, she added, "And what a _fine_ body it is, too..."

She was watching Krayon with a look like she could devour him in some very creative ways. Erutis was afraid if she held on to her wineglass any tighter it would shatter and ruin her dress. Anger and the wine mixed to create quite a combination. Erutis smiled the sweetest smile she knew and tapped the side of the glass with the finger adorned with Krayon's ring on it, letting it make a distinct, clear sound each time the ring hit the glass. When she saw that Meruhesae had glanced at it, she stopped.

"Indeed it is quite pleasant on the eyes," she agreed. "However, if you would be so kind as to excuse me, my fiancé is waiting for me, as I've promised every dance to him." She laughed an airy laugh, mirroring Meruhesae's own. "He does get ever so possessive." She made a show of twisting the ring around until it sat just right on her finger. Turning, she took a few steps, then glancing over her shoulder, on a reckless whim, added. "Oh, and by the way, it's odd that you should mention the two of you have been lovers." Meruhesae lifted an eyebrow in question.

"Why is that?"

"Well, you see," Erutis continued, lying through her teeth. "He's already informed me that he's never been with anyone before." The split second's look of surprise and the way Meruhesae's eyes darted around the room to see if anyone had heard confirmed Erutis's suspicions. She _had_ been lying after all. She felt a savage satisfaction at the discovery. "But it's okay," she added, smiling as though she deeply pitied the older woman. "He has that affect on girls sometimes- he sometimes still affects _me_ that way, and we're engaged! I can only _imagine_ what affect he must be having on you, who can only lie about him from afar."

She turned and continued making her way to Krayon, whose eyes immediately lit up upon seeing her return to him. Without really realizing what she was doing, perhaps still under the influence of the wine, she casually curled into his outstretched arms, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt Meruhesae watching. Standing slightly on tiptoe, she reached up and planted a soft, fleeting kiss on Krayon's firm jawline and gently pressed him closer. "So are we dancing now or what?" she wanted to know.

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AUTHORS'S NOTE: XDD Well, how was it?! There is clearly more physical interaction, wheee!!! I know Meruhesae isn't entirely in character, and I do apologize for that (I seem to be doing a lot of apologizing, it seems). This was quite a long chapter and took quite a while to type up- will that make up for it? Please, please, please review! You already know how much that has helped me write and continue to write, so... -SMILE-


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